get actionable tips to win new customers

monthly articles geared to local business owners

Home » Google Sidebar Ads: Where Did They Go, and What Does Their Disappearance Mean?

Google Sidebar Ads: Where Did They Go, and What Does Their Disappearance Mean?

March 2, 2016

Creative Commons image by Brian Moore.

If youa��ve been using Google to run Internet searches, youa��ve probably been accustomed to seeing paid ads, called sidebar ads, in the right-hand column of the search page. Over the past week, however, Google has changed the way the search pages look and function. The sidebar ads have been eliminated, and more paid ads have been added to the top and bottom of the page.

The result is two-fold; first, fewer paid ads are visible when a user first clicks on the page. This means that if you are using Adwords or another PPC campaign, your ads might not even be seen until the person searching scrolls down. Since there are also fewer total ads, this can have an effect, as well; competition is likely to become more fierce (and more expensive) in some industries. Secondly, organic search results that once appeared on the first page might now be pushed onto the second, because with the three new ad spaces at the bottom of the page, the number of organic results on each page has been reduced.

What Does the Elimination of Google Sidebar Ads Mean for You?

Well, that depends on what your current marketing strategy is. If youa��re currently relying a lot on Adwords, it might be time to diversify your approach. While no one is sure why Google made the change or exactly how it will affect users and advertisers, one thing is for sure: Your organic results are going to become even more important than before. Here are some things you might consider focusing more attention and energy on, strategically speaking:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Never before has SEO been more important. If your goal is to land on Googlea��s first page (as well it should be, since the majority of Google users rarely click off of the first page of results), youa��re going to need to make sure your site is optimized appropriately. This might mean going through your entire site and updating your meta tags, descriptions, images, header tags, and so on. It also might mean revamping your blog, putting in better or more relevant category tags and updating it more frequently. In short, the more you can make your site attractive to Google, the better you will fare with this change.

Email/SMS Marketing: Dona��t forget about other types of marketing that have nothing to do with Google or the other search engines. Sending out emails or texts can be another great way to bring in business. Dona��t just jump into sending out random messages, though; there are several considerations to keep in mind. You can also visit this site lady charm kostenlos spielen. You can find out more from this Kissmetric beginnera��s guide to email marketing.

Content Creation: Focusing your efforts on creating useful, engaging content (generally on your blog) is a great inbound marketing strategy. People will look forward to reading what you have to say before they need your services, so when the time comes for them to buy, youa��ll already be on their mind.

As with all of the other Google changes, Most Optimal is ready to roll with this one. Please contact us to find out how we can help your business succeed with the current algorithms and best practices when it comes to digital marketing.